Anquietas, Part One: The Cave
by scifi lemon
Summary: The team discovers a reference within the Ancient database that could hold the salvation of Atlantis. The journey it takes them on will be arduous and John's life will never be the same after he discovers the secret within the Cave. No slash
1. A Bad Dream

Prologue: A Bad Dream

_O God! I could be bounded in a nut-shell, _

_and count myself the king of infinite space,_

_were it not that I have bad dreams._

_-William Shakespeare_

The Gateship zoomed out of the shimmering blue puddle that was a wormhole and sped across the landscape. The passenger and pilot alike looked at the brightly colored wildflowers growing on the gently rolling hills. A cool breeze made the flora sway to and fro, while this world's warm yellow sun and cloudless azure sky completed the picturesque scene below.

The ship slowed as it neared its destination: a small cave in the side of a remote mountain on a middle-of-nowhere planet that was about to become one of the most important places in the universe. It touched down about 20 yards from the cave's entrance, where a small group of people awaited the arrival of its important passenger: the military leader of Atlantis.

The cluster of excited technicians made polite greetings as the tall, dark-haired man clad in the standard Lantean military uniform stepped down the ramp of the Gateship and made his way to the cave, making brief glances at the datapads that some scientists presented to him. Most of the stuff was way over his head and didn't mean jack to him, but he still nodded and made noncommittal grunts as he waded through the scientists, looking for their leader, the Chief geek and one of the heads of the Atlantis science department.

He found his quarry surrounded by a mountain of screens and various technological paraphernalia, berating some poor technician about "his colossal screw-up that could cost all of Atlantis with his idiocy" and suggested that he go do something to himself. The commander smiled and walked over to the genius, who was still muttering curses under his breath.

He waited till he was just feet from the oblivious man now underneath a console before he spoke. "So, everything's running smoothly I take it?"

The thirty year old scientist gave a small high-pitch shriek as he instinctively jumped and banged his head on the lip of the console. "For crying out loud, Tertius, don't scare me like that! You might give me cardiac arrest and force me to Ascend before my time!"

Asellus Tertius, the armed forces leader of Atlantis, laughed as his childhood friend crawled from under the console and stood, massaging the back of his head. "Well, I wouldn't want t deprive the last free humans of their greatest mind, would I? Of course, the greatest next to _Janis_…"

Riel Mimosa snorted. "You're comparing me to the deranged hermit who's spending all his time tinkering in some dark corner of Atlantis, bent on creating a device that, even if it beats all odds and actually does more than waste our precious resources, is completely pointless." He held up his hands. "Let's see, on one hand, me, a head of the science section of the greatest city humanity has ever known and, as you so eloquently put it, our only hope for survival… or on the other hand, the mad scientist who cares only about his precious time machine. Yes, I can see the similarities: one useful and the other totally useless. Great comparison."

Asellus laughed. "You know me, Mr. Observant." They both chuckled again, but gathered themselves. "Now, onto important stuff." He gestured to the text scattered on the screens. "So, how's it going?"

The Lantean scientist glance at some readouts on the screen and replied, "Pretty well, surprisingly. So far, this place has still been undetected by the Wraith and things are running pretty smoothly, for the most part. The AI hologram has been nearly completed, and the, uh, tests, are being triple checked, but there are blue lights all around. All of our experimental technology and the 'tracker', for lack of a better word, have been place at the end."

"Explain something to me. How are we going to keep anybody from just walking in here and taking it?"

"Did you even read the project file?" Asellus didn't say anything. "I'll take that as a 'no'. In order to gain access to the 'treasure' if you will, a person must meet five preset qualifications: they must possess our unique gene, cunning, mercy, valor, and faith. The AI and holograms we have installed inside will create realistic scenarios by linking the holograms directly into the said person through their gene. The holograms will automatically cease the virtual reality once it determines if the person has passed or failed. If the person 'wins', they get the grand prize: surviving, and getting possibly some of our best works, most of which are mine, of course."

Tertius stood quietly for a moment, absorbing the information. "The five qualifications, aren't those the same requirements for Ascension?"

"So I see you do live up to your name, O King of the Blatantly Obvious. You're right, they are. That way we know that the one who gets their hands on this technology will most likely use it for good purposes, rather than more nefarious ones."

Asellus grunted in the affirmative, and fell silent once more. At last, the commander sighed. "You're preparing this like no one is coming for a while." The last part was an obvious question, but he said it like it was a statement.

The scientist sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "As much as I hate to admit it, yes, I am. There are few civilizations in this galaxy that are even close to comprehending our technology, and now that they have fallen to the Wraith, I sincerely doubt that they will be coming here anytime soon. In our home galaxy there's a greater chance, but without zero-point energy, there's no way here. From where we stand now, I don't see how anyone person come here again for thousands of years. It's just not possible." He paused, sensing his friend's disturbance.

"It's not me I worried for; it's the future generations of humans of this galaxy that will have to live under the shadow of the Wraith, without hope of a better future, or of a long life. Regardless of what the Council says, I still think we should stay here and fight for the billions of humans here, despite the odds. I'd almost rather that Atlantis would fall than turn tail and run, abandoning these people to certain death." He made a forced bitter laugh. "I almost wish we could see what will happen thousands of years from now, just to know that all of this is worth it. Maybe Janis isn't so crazy about that time machine of his."

"Perhaps. But Asellus, remember that by doing a 'strategic retreat' we have hope that someone out there will come up with a solution. Maybe they'll even use what we put in the Cave. But nothing, not even a time-travel device, could tell you that." The friends and leaders of their people stood like statues in the summer sun lost in their own thoughts, as people moved in a flurry around them.

Asellus faced the entrance of the cave, watching the hustle and bustle taking place in front of it, when a dark-haired woman wearing white suddenly appeared there, looking right at him. Scientists passed right by her, unseeing. The commander walked toward her as if called, and the world around him grew silent and still.

It was then, when he stood in front of her, that her name came unbidden to his mind.

"Chaya."

The Ascended Being smiled sadly and replied, "Hello." She glanced behind her, and the Ancient's widened with fear. Chaya spoke so fast it was near frantic. "I showed this to you because it contains information that is vital to the survival of Atlantis. You must come here, to this world, and reach the end of the Cave." As she was speaking, she began to glow faintly. He could see Chaya breathing heavily; she was panicking. "Tell no one of this!" With that, she dissolved into white light.

In that same instant, Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard bolted up in his bed suddenly that he can almost hear an audible _snap!_ He sat there gulping air, his skin covered with a thin sheen of sweat. He raised a quivering hand and ran it through his hair. He quickly glanced around the room to make sure that this was his quarters in Atlantis in AD 2006. Seeing nothing but shadows and the large Johnny Cash poster on his wall, he finally relaxed and fell back onto his bed, staring at the dark ceiling.

"That was… different." John's mind was spinning and he knew he wasn't getting to sleep anytime soon.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o


	2. A Discovery of Minor Proportions

**Chapter One: The Mystery of the Missing Ancient Footnote**

_Discovery consists of seeing what everybody has seen,_

_and thinking what nobody has thought._

-Albert von Szent-Gyorgyi

_Elsewhere that same night…_

Radek Zelenka leaned back in his chair, and pushed up his glasses. With an exhausted sigh, the Czech rubbed his eyes with the bridge of his palms, trying to relieve the pain blossoming behind them. After staring for hours at the intense light of a laptop, eye strain was inevitable. He opened his eye lids a sliver and quickly glanced at the clock on his laptop before shutting them again. It was 2:37 AM, four hours till dawn and the rest of the city began to rise.

The scientist was pulling an all-nighter, something that was common among the science department on Atlantis. Usually Radek would be "tinkering", as Colonel Sheppard would say, on one device or another, but tonight, (or rather, today) he was attempting to decipher a small section of the Ancient Database.

In their three years of inhabiting Atlantis, they had only decoded roughly 8 of the massive archive. They had been making an effort to translate the database, but cracking the universe's largest encyclopedia got sidetracked by the various bits of Ancient paraphernalia they found, and other _little_ stuff like… threats of impending doom by life-sucking vampire-wannabe aliens, killer robots made of glorified Lego pieces with a Cylon complexion… to name a few.

Zelenka yawned and gazed unseeing at the far wall opposite his lab. He shook his head as though it was enough to clear his foggy mind. Boy was he tired, but he didn't feel like abandoning his quest just yet. _Which reminds me…_ Radek turned his attention back to the computer screen, staring intently at the alien language displayed there.

Several weeks ago, during one of those rare times in Atlantis where there are no catastrophes occurring, Radek dove into the database to avoid impending boredom. As he began to translate the information, following different leads in an effort to discover something, well, _important_, the scientist noticed something. Bits of data, whispers of a planet or outpost, would be listed but turn up nothing, no matter how long he would pursue it. It was exceedingly frustrating. Even when he dove into the programming behind the database, he could never trace the source. Shortly after this, the Ancients returned to Atlantis and gave the Earthlings the boot back to their own corner of the universe.

Now that the Ancients, and the Asurans, had come and gone, Radek had been given the opportunity to continue his mission. So once again, he was working furiously in his lab, clicking and typing away, following lead after lead to solve "The Mystery of the Missing Ancient Footnote". Where was Sherlock, or even Matlock, when you needed them?

Radek paused and shook his head. He was having trouble concentrating and more than once he caught himself nodding off. He was decided that he really needed some caffeine and got up from his chair, heading for the mess hall to refill his empty coffee cup.

As he made his way down the dark hallways of Atlantis to the nearest transporter, he tried to step back and analyze the problem from another angle. Sometimes starting at the basics helped to reveal the answer.

Well, a fundamental part of Ancient technology was the ATA gene. The gene linked a person telepathically with the technology in Atlantis. Radek smiled as he thought of the expeditions early days, years ago. Back then, McKay didn't have the gene, and had to call someone did every five minutes to touch some new-found device in order to analyze it. The look of unadulterated frustration and jealously on his face was hilarious, considering the big jerk McKay was (and still is). Of course, that look of borderline hatred tripled when the then Major Sheppard was called in. The Major didn't hesitate to rub in the fact he had the gene and McKay didn't.

The scientist stepped into the transporter and hit the button for the mess hall. He walked out and began to stroll down the dimly lit corridor, nodding to the few night shift technicians he passed by.

Of course, McKay eventually got Carson's ATA therapy, but it doesn't come with a 100 guarantee; some things just require a natural gene to initialize. Even then some people have a stronger gene than others. Colonel Sheppard had the strongest gene of anyone alive and the technology would occasionally turn on for him and him alone. Many of the women scientists made jokes that not even alien technology was able to resist his charm. As Radek poured coffee from a nearby pot, he had to admit that some Ancient devices did seem partial to him.

Zelenka paused mid-pour. _Partial…_ the thought made something click in his mind. The solution to why there were blank spots in the database, it was so obvious, he couldn't believe that no one else-

"Ow! Do prdele!" Lost in thought, he had forgotten about the scalding hot coffee he was pouring, which was currently living up to its name. Radek quickly set the pot down and grabbed a handful of napkins, wiping his wet hand and mug till it was soggy with the liquid. After mopping up the coffee that had spilled on the table, muttering curses in Czech, he practically ran to the transporter to McKay's lab.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

John laid on his bed staring blankly at the ceiling for who knows how long. He turned the dream-thing over in his mind, trying to decide what the heck just happened. Right now, he was trying to hold on to the fact that it was just a dream.

Wasn't it?

Sure, it was the most vivid dream he'd ever had, but that's all it was… right?

As John remembered the sights, the smells of being there on that world way-back when, he started having doubts. In dreams you can't smell the sweet fragrance of flowers or feel a cool breeze. It was just too real to be a figment of his imagination.

No, that… whatever he saw, was more like… a memory. If that was a memory, then whose was it? And why show it to him? John knew that Chaya had been there too, saying something about saving Atlantis, going to the Cave, and telling no one.

John snorted. _Yeah, like I'm gonna tell anybody that I had a 'vision' that I was an Ancient that lived 10,000 years ago and 'I' buried a big pile of treasure in a cave. Oh, and Chaya was there too and that I had to go back there to save the world. Not to mention that this Ancient just happened to be the old military commander of Atlantis and looked just like me. They'd send me to Heightmeyer faster than you can say 'padded white room'. No worries there, Chaya. _

The current military commander of Atlantis sighed and wiped a hand across his face. He knew that he wasn't getting to sleep again; what had happened was just too weird. With a quick decision, John grabbed a pair of sweats and put them on. Running was always a good way to clear his mind. If fact, just being out in the city made him feel better. He'd never tell anyone, but when he went away from the major part of the city, he got a sense of serenity that he knew came from the city itself. It was one of the reasons that he liked to go to the balconies because he could feel that peace there.

He tossed on a pair of well-worn running shoes and headed out the door, focusing on keeping the lights off lest he wake someone. Maybe a good four or five mile jog would clear his mind.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

TBC


	3. The Hidden Cartographer

_A/N Hello everyone! Sorry this took so long to update! This is one of those chapters that you just have to grit your teeth and work through it. Just hang on; it's going to get so much better after this! Thanks to everyone who reviewed, it means so much to me! Here it is ch. 3…_

**Chapter Three: The Hidden Cartographer**

"_No lesson seems to be so deeply inculcated by the experience of life as that you should never trust experts. _

_If you believe the doctors, nothing is wholesome: _

_if you believe the theologians, nothing is innocent: _

_if you believe the soldiers, nothing is safe. _

_They all require to have their strong wine diluted by a very large admixture of insipid common sense." _

-Lord Salisbury

_In the Atlantis City labs, 3:18 AM_

Zelenka found the self-proclaimed genius slouched over his desk and surrounded by at least a dozen power bar wrappers. McKay was snoring not-so-quietly with his mouth open slightly, and a puddle of drool was soaking the pile of papers he was using as a pillow. Radek might have snickered at the scene but he was too excited at his discovery to bother with it. He walked over to McKay, stopping a few feet away.

"_McKay." _He whispered. The scientist didn't move. "McKay." Still no response. "McKay!" Nothing. "MCKAY! Wake up, you stupid git!"

With that, Rodney jerked awake like he had been poked with a cattle prod. "What, what happened?" He asked bleary eyed.

Radek could no longer contain it. "McKay, I've done it! I was just thinking and, _boom!_, it came to me. It's"- He babbled excitedly.

"Huh? What? Zelenka, what are you talking about?" The scientist raised an eyebrow. "Have you been making more moonshine? Cause you sure smell like it." Rodney inquired and rubbed his eyes, his snark seeming to be waking up as well.

"No, I have discovered why there are pieces 'missing' in the"- Zelenka was cut off once more.

"You mean that stupid project you've been obsessed with for the past month and a half?" He jabbed.

"First of all, I am not 'obsessed'," Radek explained. "… merely extremely passionate in pursuing the answer, which I now"-

McKay snorted and crossed his arms. "That, my poor friend, is the definition of 'obsessed'." He waved a hand over his damp papers and hibernating laptop. "Now then, what was so important that you had to interrupt my work, which is critical to the continuing survival of this expedition?"

Radek rolled his eyes. "Interrupting? Do not be stupid McKay, I know you were sleeping. But that is not"-

"I was not asleep!" McKay resented. He crossed his arms in his trademark gesture. "I was… simply resting my eyes."

Now it was Radek's turn to snort. "McKay, you were snoring, but I"-

"I was not… I snore? Really? Huh. No one's ever mentioned it before." He seemed genuinely puzzled.

"MCKAY! Please, just… be quiet for two seconds. Please." Radek attempted to regained control over his growing frustration.

McKay was affronted. "Fine." He gestured around the lab. "You have the floor."

"Thank you. As I was trying so say before I was so rudely interrupted… I have realized why there are holes in the database"-

Rodney was very irritable at the previous snoring comment and being woken without a cup of coffee. "And why is that? Did you find alien termites eating away the programming? Were there electronic silverfish burrowing holes in the crystals? Little machine bugs scurrying around in the consoles?" Rodney and Radek winced simultaneously at the fresh and all-to-painful memories of nanites and Asurans. "Sorry."

Radek closed his eyes and took a deep breath, praying to whatever deity that would listen for patience. Slowly and methodically, Radek explained his recent findings in the database and his sudden epiphany about the cause. "If we have someone with the gene access the database, we might be able to look at something, like a reference to a 'storeroom of great knowledge' that I keep encountering"-

"And, (theoretically of course), more information would come up. Not bad. Makes sense. That way the Ancients could keep relatively certain that only one of them could see 'top secret' information. Well congratulations, it seems you've stumbled upon Atlantis's equivalent of classified files. That's quite the achievement, especially for someone that, well, isn't me."

The Czech wasn't sure whether to take that last part as a compliment or an insult, so he let it slide. "Perhaps we should go to the hologram room to access the database from there. Since you have the gene, we could look up some information and compare it some of the stuff we already have…"

"Zelenka, it's three in the morning. I prefer to be fully awake before we experiment in a database that contains some of the most important research known to man, other than my own of course. With my second-in-command doing a decent impression of a raccoon…" He pointed to the dark circles under Radek's eye and pale face.

Radek pointed at him. "Hey! You do no look so good yourself, Sir Snores-a-Lot!"

McKay continued as though he hadn't heard the Czech. "…I think we should wait till, (let's say seven? Eight?), before we start anything. Go back to your quarters and get some sleep."

"What about you? You look much like garbage-raiding rodent. I think you need as much beauty sleep as you can get, though I doubt it would do much."

"Oh, please! Maybe you should go find Sheppard on the way to your quarters. Ask him what he does to maintain his bed head look. You're doing alright so far, but it would use a little refining. Or should I say, 'rakish-ing'?"

Radek mimicked his colleague and crossed his arms over his chest. "You just jealous I have hair. Maybe you go ask Colonel Caldwell what he use to shine his gigantic bald spot, as you will need it soon, Mr. Magoo!"

This was the final straw for the exhausted minds of McKay and Zelenka. They hurled insults at each other with renewed vigor. This continued for several minutes until the sound of someone clearing their throat brought the quarrel to an abrupt end. They turned to the direction of the sound where John Sheppard was leaning against the doorway, wearing his running outfit. Though John's manner was calm and laid-back, his eyes were sunken in and glassy. Apparently scientists were not the only ones who didn't sleep.

"Wow. I was walking by, and I heard you guys having a quiet, pleasant conversation from not too far away, only _the other side of the city_, so I decided to come in and see what has Atlantis's top scientists riled this early in the morning. So, what were you two doing alone, in the middle of the night, having a cat fight?" There was a mischievous glint in his eye that the physicists both sensed was trouble.

They responded at the same time. "We were just"-

"Complaining about each other's sleeping habits, discussing hair-care products… I didn't know you guys swung that way. Man, now I owe a couple Marines some money."

Rodney turned crimson. "You know that it was nothing like that and- There are bets?"

The pilot cocked a brow. "Do I?" His quizzical expression crumpled and he waved a hand in defeat. "Ah, I was just kidding." He rolled back and forth on his heels. "So... what got your panties in a bunch?"

Radek went to explain but was, yet _again_, interrupted by Rodney. "Yes, yes, I'll give the full report to you in detail at the meeting in…five hours. Now, why don't you do your laps like a good jarhead, and get some sleep. You look like you belong on the set of _Evil Dead 2_."

John gave a mock salute. "Yessir! And jarheads are Marines, by the way. Air Force are flyboys. I thought you of all people would know that. But I am curious about why you'd keep whatever it is a secret. You're usually, (What am I saying?! Scratch that), _always_ the first one to brag about anything you've discovered…" The pilot glanced at Zelenka. A Cheshire cat worthy grin split his face. "Radek discovered something cool didn't he?! Before you, right? You're jealous!"

Zelenka was glad to be finally allowed back into the conversation. He raised a pointing finger, as if to emphasize a point… "Yes, I have"- …that he never got to make.

"I do not get 'jealous'." Rodney stated resentfully.

"Riiiiight. You're just envious, arrogant, petty, a hypochondriac, egotistical, petty, sardonic, sarcastic, caustic, boastful, condescending… and did I say petty?" John held up a finger after each word, like he was counting down a list.

"Since when did we start talking about my less-than-favorable attributes?! And why does everyone say I'm petty?" He asked, recalling his 'conversation' with Carter last year.

"Because you are."

"I am not!"

"See, there you go, arguing over nothing. You're petty." John commented, smug.

"Puh-lease, Colonel, I"-

Radek quietly lowered his hand and sighed as the two began to bicker… and completely ignored him. His quiet sigh was barely audible over the loud babble. He scooted behind the Lt. Colonel and announced, "I am going to bed now." But the two didn't even notice and continued their squabble.

As he walked out, he began to curse in Czech and whispered under his breath, "Maybe I go to Carson in Infirmary, ask him to compare your DNA, see if you lost siblings. If I were your parents, I would have separated you at birth too, or bickering would have drove me _nuts_!"

John felt more than heard Zelenka leave, and decided that sleep was an excellent idea. A good run and snark session with McKay had finally relaxed him. If he was lucky, he'd get a refreshing dream/vision/memory-less sleep. Tomorrow promised to be an interesting day.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

_Beep, beep, beep, beep _pause _Beep, beep, beep, beep_ pause _Beep, beep, beep_, _beep_-

John groaned and reluctantly rolled over, slapping a hand blindly on top of his alarm clock. The _beep_-ing instantaneously silenced and he turned to lie again on his back. He began to massage the bridge of his nose and squeezed, attempting to wake himself up. Giving himself a moment more of peace, John sat up and threw the covers off. As he showered and changed, the military commander of Atlantis found his thoughts going back to the 'dream' he had last night. After turning it over in his mind once more, he decided that he couldn't do anything by worrying about it.

_Besides_, he reasoned, _the whole thing revolved around "The Cave". I don't know of any mysterious caves on my mission list, so unless something miraculous happens and it pops up right in my face, I'm not gonna be there anytime soon. So, there's no problem._

But John had a sneaking suspicion that fate had it in for him, and so by saying "it's not going to happen" he probably sealed his fate. Murphy's Law should be Atlantis's (or the Pegasus Galaxy's) motto.

Glancing at the clock, he saw that the meeting Rodney had arranged was about to start…meaning that no breakfast. John opened the door to his quarters with a mental nudge and raced for the transporter. Maybe he could nick something from McKay's secret chocolate stash that the scientist would deny the existence of if ever asked.

Sheppard got to the conference room just as McKay and his sidekick (no, not Ronon, though the whole "Fatman and Ronon" escapade has yet to die down. An artistic scientist made some incredible comic-style drawings depicting the Head Scientist and the former Runner in costume. John was fond of the 'snark ray' and the 'doughnut razors'. They were posted in the labs till McKay saw them, had an apoplectic fit, tore them down, and supposedly burned them. One gate tech swore he saw McKay heading out to a balcony with a lighter and a bundle of papers. Ronon had not been amused either, further discouraging anyone from replacing them.) Zelenka stood in front of the TV screen, apparently about to give their report.

"So glad you could join us, Colonel."

John turned to the speaker, Dr. Elizabeth Weir, who was sitting at the "head" of the triangular Ancient conference table beside Teyla and Ronon. "Well, I wouldn't want to miss out on all the fun." He found an empty seat and lowered himself into it.

Rodney looked at the colonel with disdain until he leaned back in his chair and turned his attention to the two scientists. "Now where was I? Ah, yes, the database…" The four listened to the physics explain their, or rather Radek's, discovery. They even had neat 3-D diagrams that blinked and moved. John didn't know why as they didn't seem to really relate to what the scientists were talking about. Maybe they just liked to show off their 'White and Nerdy' skills.

John interrupted. "So, what do we do now?" He saw Rodney look at him expectantly. "Oh no, I'm not going to touch something for you, _again_! I'm a pilot in the United States Air Force and the military commander of this expedition, not a remote control! Get Miko, she'd happily do it for you."

"Come on, Colonel. You operate the database, bring up some information, Zelenka and I analyze it, and you're done. It's very simple, so even you will be able to do it."

Dr. Weir raised an eyebrow. "And it's an order."

Sheppard sighed and nodded, defeated.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

The arrived in the large, circular space they had dubbed "the hologram room" for obvious reasons. John moved up to the platform and the device lighting up, warming underneath him.

"So, what are we looking for?" He inquired. For some strange reason, he felt slightly anxious, like before you get on a rollercoaster. He swallowed and tried to bury the rising feeling that 'something's wrong here'.

McKay glanced down at his ever-present datapad, but it was Radek who spoke. "I have come across several references to an Ancient 'cavern of riches' and 'storeroom of wealth' that sounds promising. I can find no further information about it, but perhaps we will encounter more here."

"Alright Aladdin, 'cave of wonders' it is." The machine was beginning to hum just as John realized what he said. _Uh oh. _ In an instant, a hologram appeared of scrolling Ancient text revolving slowly across the room…and the image of an all too familiar mountainside. The colors were distorted by the light blue of the Ancient holograms, but the red highlight around the small, dark hole in the rocky peak was unmistakable. _Ah, crap. Way to go, John. _His small groan was drowned out by Rodney's cheerful squeal.

"Wow, would you look at that! If I'm translating this correctly," Rodney made a small laugh as if to say 'like I wouldn't' and continued. "It mentions something about… 'hiding new versions', 'five tests to keep the unworthy out', 'from weapons to healing devices'… There a lot of information here about the Ancients concealing their unfinished prototypes from the Wraith before leaving Atlantis. That way if one was captured or destroyed, the other would remain and their scientists could keep working. Dr. Weir, we have to go. The potential wealth of technology is… astronomical."

Elizabeth nodded. "I agree. John, when can your team be ready?"

John exhaled. _I'm really starting to hate karma._ He glanced at the people around the room looking at him for an answer he really didn't want to give. He resigned himself to his fate, whatever that was. "We'll be ready in an hour."

"Very well. See you all at 0900 then." The team parted and went their separate ways to get ready for the coming mission. John, it seemed, was the only one who was hesitant to go to the Cave. _Why is it always me who has to go do the crazy, dangerous stuff? Next time, Chaya, go see Ronon. He'll be happy to do whatever freaky BS you want. Me? Not so much. _

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

**TBC**

_A/N Yay!!! It's done. They finally get to go off world! I'm looking forward to writing the next few chapters as much as some of you are to reading it. Now that school is starting up for me again, I'll do my best to update ASAP. Now that I'm past this part, I'm pretty sure I'll be able to update faster, but don't quote me on that. Please, take some time to review. I love feedback!_


	4. The First Task

_A/N Here it is, chapter four! Sorry it took so long. Stupid homework, trying to stop me from writing, but it didn't succeed! Oh, there're some spoilers for Tao of Rodney and a big one for Irresponsible. Thanks again to all who reviewed. And now, the plot thickens… Enjoy!_

**

* * *

**

**Chapter Four: The First Test**

"_Anyone who expects to meet a lunatic brandishing a hatchet _

_and instead finds a man hiding a revolver in his trouser pocket is bound to feel relived. But that doesn't prevent a revolver from being more dangerous than a hatchet. _

-Leon Trotsky

_Planet P3X-1138…_

The Puddlejumper zoomed out of the shimmering blue puddle that was a wormhole and sped across the landscape. The passengers and pilot alike looked at the brightly colored wildflowers growing on the gently rolling hills. A cool breeze made the flora sway to and fro, while this world's warm yellow sun and cloudless azure sky completed the picturesque scene below.

And to John Sheppard, it was horribly, disturbingly familiar. He'd been anxious about what he would encounter on the other side of the Stargate for the entire duration of the pointless mission briefing. Would he see the same scene from his dream? Or was it just a whopper of a coincidence? His anxiety must have been _really_ obvious because the usually deft McKay had asked if John was feeling well. He had replied that he was perfectly fine, and stared pointedly out the window, putting an end to any further inquiries.

But now that he was actually _here_, in the exact same place in he saw before, any doubts about the vision had evaporated. The feeling was replaced by the worst kind of dread, and it felt like giant alien butterflies were having a party in his stomach. His gut twisted in knots as he observed the world outside the jumper.

Things had barely changed in the 10,000 years since 'he' had been here. The dense tree line had slightly encroached into the now smaller fields and the surrounding mounts were smoother, worn away by thousands of years of wind and snow. If his memory served, the Cave was several minutes away by jumper, meaning he had plenty of time to contemplate how messed up this was.

Though his mind was wandering, John automatically adjusted the ship's trajectory, correctly heading towards the Cave. Rodney noticed this and knew that it was, of course, impossible. Especially since this was John "I-prefer-straight-lines-because-that's-always-a-short-cut-in-my-world" Sheppard. Then again, this was the Pegasus galaxy and Rodney had seen how it had a despicable habit of making the statistically impossible, probable.

He stared quizzically at John. "Are you going to check for energy signatures, or do we have to stop and ask for directions?"

John furrowed his brow and pulled up the HUD with a thought, cursing himself for not remembering before. Rodney nodded in thanks as they both observed the readings.

"I'm picking up some incredibly strong energy readings," McKay stated in disbelief. "I suspected that with something like this, the Ancients would have ensured that the power would continue run after they left, but I didn't think there would be anything close to this." A small but jubilant smirk crossed the physicists face. "Looking at this, I'd say that the facility is powered by a ZedPM."

The rest of the team shared his shock. "Really?" Teyla asked.

Rodney nodded excitedly. "It's the only power source that could keep running for thousands of years. They're like the Energizer bunnies of the Ancients. If we're the first to come here since the Ancients left our space-time, the energy requirements would have been relatively low. This could mean we might have a charged ZedPM, at last." And on that note, the cockpit fell silent once more.

After a few moments, one member of the group couldn't take it any longer and Rodney questioned out of the blue, "Do I really snore? Zelenka mentioned it to me and I"- The ship was instantly filled with the laughter of the other three.

"Is that a serious question?" John inquired amused, in between crackles.

"You mean you don't know?" asked Ronon at the same time.

"No I don't know, and yes, that is a serious question! I don't see what's so funny," an exasperated Rodney declared.

"Yeah, you snore, really loudly. You drool too," Ronon stated simply.

"I-what?!" McKay sounded exasperated and confounded as the other three snickered again.

From the pilot's seat, John snorted. "Oh yeah, I remember one mission where we had to sleep on mats on the floor. Rodney's head was right above mine and snored up a storm. It kept me awake all night." John's smile was so wide that his face was starting to hurt from the strain. Their two alien teammates were staring at the look on Rodney's face, their faces turning red from the effort of not laughing.

The subject of their humor was red as well, though for an entirely different reason. "Why didn't you tell me this before?! Didn't want to deprive yourselves of another chance to mock me?!"

That was the last straw and the ship filled with laughter. John managed to slow his chuckles to reply. "If you recall, McKay, we got run out of town by the Wraith shortly after that. I didn't exactly have time to tell you."

Ronon also succeeded in stopping his "Ho-ho-ho"-ing long enough to say something. "And what you said." This started another bout of crackling. Rodney did the impossible and turned a darker shade of scarlet. He grumbled under his breath but didn't say anything until his 'friends' calmed down. John exhaled content.

"Wow, thanks for that, Meredith. I haven't had so much fun a while."

Meredith…um, Rodney, winced at the mention of his first name. "Oh come on, hasn't that gotten old yet?" He whined.

John shook his head as a wry grin spread across his face. "Nope. And I suspect it won't for a very, _very_ long time. I've got to hold something against you after the 'Super McKay' incident," he said happily.

Rodney moaned pathetically, enticing another chuckle from his teammates that gradually died down. John gazed out the window at the mountainous landscape. He wasn't lying when he said that he was grateful to McKay. After all the tension building up, he was glad to have a bit of relief.

A few seconds later, John saw the mouth of the Cave… surrounded by primitive looking carts and other 'Medieval' travel devices. What wasn't so primitive were the reflective metal boxes in the wooden carts. "What the heck is that?" Teyla and Ronon were instantly by his side at his cry while McKay observed the readings the HUD displayed in response to the pilot's thoughts.

"The jumper's lifesigns screen can't penetrate the mountain. Something in the rock is causing interference with the scanners. We were lucky to pick up any energy readings." He paused for a moment. "This must be the reason why this place has remained hidden from the Wraith for all these years." McKay declared.

"Make it show all lifesigns around the Cave," commanded Ronon. John obliged as the jumper hovered over the area that the Ancients once used for landings, now long overgrown by tall pines.

The screen widened and changed. Dozens of yellows dots appeared. "With all the local animals in the area, it's impossible to tell anything apart," John commented. He glanced at the three next to him and said, "I'll land us a few hundred yards away from the Cave's entrance and cloak the Puddlejumper. We'll proceed on foot." Rodney moaned as they acknowledged the order as he directed the jumper silently away.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

The team made their way through the forest with Sheppard on point and Ronon covering their six. The apprehension that John has been feeling all morning had spread to the rest of the team. Though the jumper had picked up a lot of lifesigns, the forest was completely still. _It was quiet… too quiet. _Even Rodney was unpredictably silent as they trekked through the thick underbrush. John hid back a smile as he thought of a few possible reasons why.

As they neared the cave, John gestured for them to crouch. The three soldiers scoured the area while the civilian played with the lifesigns detector's controls, trying to figure out the source of the interference. Seeing that the coast was clear of 'bad guys', Sheppard waved for Teyla and Ronon to take positions on either side of the Cave's entrance. John led Rodney after they took their pose beside the opening, but the scientist couldn't resist the temptation to peek inside the carts.

"Hey, check this out." McKay murmured. John internally debated whether to chastise Rodney for speaking in this delicate situation, or go see what was so interesting. Curiosity beat caution and he smoothly moved over to the Canadian's position, glancing over his shoulder into the contents of the nearest cart. Most of the metallic crates contained digging tools like pickaxes and shovels, and others were filled with crude explosives, but several of the larger ones were mysteriously empty.

Rodney's excited whisper interrupted his thoughts. "They must be here for the same thing we are. Perhaps they simply heard of a cave full of 'Ancestor treasure' and thought that they could mine it out. From the materials here, I don't think that they'll be that much of a problem." John's hand whipped to his mouth and he put a finger to his lips in an obvious signal for "shut up" that even the thick-headed physicist could understand. His voice was getting so loud that someone inside might hear.

"I don't care how low their technology is. We have an unspecified number of potential hostiles in there and we _will_ take every available level of caution. Do you understand?" John muttered forcefully. He was letting the military leader in him show to make sure he got through to McKay.

The civilian hated being ordered around like some military bonehead, but when the said boneheads had large fully-automatic weapons, Rodney tended to listen. "Perfectly," replied Rodney. John held eye contact with him for a long moment, as though he was mentally trying to impress the seriousness of the situation on him. As the colonel turned away and headed into the mouth of the Cave, Rodney wondered why this mission had him so much more stressed out than usual.

John turned on the light of his P-90, and strode carefully into the inky blackness. That bad feeling quadrupled as he entered the Cave and the space-alien butterflies multiplied in his stomach, weighing it down till it sank to his toes.

He gripped the weapon tightly in an effort to control the shaking of his hands, the result of the adrenaline that was surging through his system. John hated to admit it, but he was scared. Not the 'someone jumped out from behind something and said Boo!' kind of fear, but the heart gripping, blood freezing _terror_ that he hadn't felt in a long time. But the most horrifying part of it was that he didn't know why he was so afraid.

That in itself was petrifying.

After they had walked for several minutes in the darkness, Ronon with his super-senses heard something up ahead. He motioned for them to slow and stay alert. Ronon gripped his pistol tighter, ready to fire, with the others following suit. Within a few steps Rodney could distinctly hear the sound of men's voices. From the way they were speaking, it didn't seem like a pleasant conversation. There were several medium-sized boulders strewn about in the broad corridor, probably caused by an ancient earthquake, and each member of the team sat behind one.

John was the closest to the men with Ronon leaned against the boulder next to him, Teyla behind John and Rodney at the rear, playing with the LSD, doggedly trying to make the static-filled screen work. John swore, bitterly wondering how someone so smart could be so positively dense sometimes. He chose not to reprimand Rodney and risk revealing their position, and hoped that the Canadian would get some sense and would pay attention when the time came. He pulled his focus away from his friend and turned to the scene before him.

There were about a dozen men in a large, round cavern ahead of him. They were clad in simple leathers and wielding Genii guns, interestingly. One wall directly in front of him was covered in Ancient text save a small doorway-like section that reminded him of the time dilation device, but instead of seeing the area beyond, it looked like the rest of the slate-gray stone.

The leader (at least, John assumed he was the leader. The man had his back to him, but he seemed vaguely familiar…) was standing behind two arguing men, one was very thin and lanky, the other stockier and slightly taller. He dubbed them Hank, Bill and Joe.

Joe was very angry. "Why don't we just blow it and get it over with? We've got plenty of explosives outside."

Bill timidly disagreed with the man in front of him. "No…This structure is highly unstable. Any amount of explosives could make this place collapse right on top of us."

"Then what do you suggest we do, Merki?" Joe placed at the engraved wall. "There's no way in!" He waltzed up to Merki drawing himself up to his full height. Merki cowered beneath the larger man's piercing glare. "I think you're trying to trick us into leaving so you can come back and have all the treasure to yourself!"

At this, the leader faced his men. "Gentlemen, please, let's be reasonable. We'll figure this out." John's breath caught in his throat. It was a man he thought he'd never see again. _Torrell…_

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

McKay squatted behind his little rock, completely immersed in his work. He was still attempting to make the lifesigns detector function, but even it was proving to be futile. The scientist was becoming increasingly frustrated, swearing under his breath.

"Why isn't this working?" He breathed. Rodney continued to tinker with the device, oblivious to the world around him. In fact, he was so engrossed that he didn't hear the quiet footsteps that approached from the Cave's entrance. Nor did he hear the echoes get increasingly louder till it was nearly on top of him, and stopped.

However, the physicist did hear the sharp click of a round being loaded into its chamber. Rodney looked up sharply to see a pair of buckskin clad legs right in front of his face. He looked up… and up… to where a very tall man rivaling Ronon in stature was standing. The massive man was holding an equally large Genii rifle which was pointed directly at Rodney's head. Behind the savage looking man were a dozen or so similarly dressed men with the same weapon.

He raised his arms in the universal sign of surrender. The brute sent him a twisted yellow-toothed grin and gestured for McKay to stand with a jerk of his gun. As he rose, the twelve behind him raised their weapons as well. He turned around to face the men waiting in the cavern, one of which recognized him immediately and smirked. Rodney also recognized his former, and current, captor. _Could this get any worse? Why is it that every nut-job we meet always comes back to try and kill us again? _

The hostage cleared his throat. "Um, guys? A little help here?"

John continued to watch Torrell and his minions bicker until the mood suddenly lightened and their faces filled with triumph. When the Olesian turned to stare in his direction, the soldier instantly flinched and ducked behind his cover. That's when he heard the frightened voice of McKay.

"Um, guys? A little help here?" John spun to chastise Rodney for his carelessness, when he saw the dozen burly figures behind the Canadian. One of the larger men had the rifle in McKay's back to ensure that he didn't try anything. John brought his weapon up to the man's chest level, which was protected by the scientist's. Ronon and Teyla already had their weapons ready and aimed, looking for the slightest opportunity to fire. But as John saw the armed treasure-hunters in the cavern, with their weapons pointing at them, he knew that they were dead if they tried anything.

The man holding McKay moved a little and pain crossed Rodney's features as he groaned. "Hey, why don't you lower your guns so the crazy people with the bigger guns don't blow our heads off? A mind like mine shouldn't end up as goo on the floor." His team hesitated, not wanting to relinquish their weapons, but at the same time wanting to keep their brains, even McKay's, and other fluids inside their body and intact.

"I'll have to agree with Dr. McKay," Torrell said. "Why don't you give up your weapons? You're of much more use to us dead than alive. But at the same, I don't really care. It's your choice." John surveyed the room once more and sighed, accepting this momentary defeat. He held up a placating hand and placed his P-90 on the stone floor simultaneously. He was doing the same with his pistol just as Teyla and Ronon were reluctantly setting their weapons down as well.

With their arms pointing skyward, the team was escorted into the cavern, which McKay glanced around curiously. It took John a moment to remember that he hadn't seen it before. Ronon and Teyla were taken to the far walls and held there by two of the men who were forcing their arms into the 'handcuff' pose and binding them with rope. There was a brief scuffle as Ronon fought the capture, but one of the guns-for-hire struck him on the head with the butt of his rifle and the former Runner crumpled as he fell unconscious.

Okay, so it wasn't Teyla or Ronon that were going to free them. John noted that Torrell did not tell his men to do the same with himself and Rodney; something he darkly knew would come into play later.

The mercenary holding John locked his arms behind his back with a iron grip that he couldn't struggle out of, making any escape by him impossible. Rodney was only held by the rifle still pointed at his back, but with the sheer tension and fire power in this small space, any false move on the part of McKay wouldn't do anything except kill him. As of this moment, there was no way out for the team.

Torrell observed the scene casually, and when he deemed that everyone was settled, he spoke. "Well, well, well. Never thought I'd see you four, my _saviors_ again. From the looks on your faces, I'll assume the feeling is mutual." The slight drawl of his voice reminded John of the Southern or Texan accent back on Earth. After glancing at his clothes and background, John thought that the term 'outlaw' applied well.

The newly christened outlaw gazed once more at his prizes. He turned to Rodney. "Now, I don't know how much you've heard of our little… situation, but we've got ourselves into a real bind. You're an answer to prayers, Dr. McKay."

John snorted sarcastically, but it was Rodney who spoke. "You want me to help you steal the 'treasure' in here? What could _you_ possibly do with a mother load of technology that you can't even comprehend, nevertheless use"-

Torrell interrupted. "You're completely right, Dr. McKay."

Rodney blinked in surprise. "I am?"

"Yes. _We_ have no use for this…" He waved a hand at the carvings behind him. "…whatever it is. However, there are a few interested buyers for intact Ancestor technology and are willing to pay a _handsome_ sum for it."

"Genii," spat John.

"Yes, hey were once one of our leading customers, but since Landon has taken power, business has declined. But now that Kolya is dead, his small group of rebels are eager for weapons to defend themselves and kill those responsible." John cursed mentally. Even six feet under that man somehow managed to make his life miserable. _Stupid, stupid karma._ "I heard from one of my sources about this place, decided to come check it out, was between a rock and a hard place (pun intended), and here we are." Torrell spread his arms wide, as though to encircle the entire room and let them fall once again to his sides.

McKay spoke up once more. "So, you're scavengers, we get it. What do you want with us?"

"I thought I had made that clear, Dr. McKay." Torrell made Rodney's title seem derogatory and it was getting on his nerves. The Olesian pointed to the wall behind him. "I want you to use that oh so brilliant mind of yours to get us in there."

The scientist gave a humorless laugh. "And what makes you think I'll do that, hmm? Out of the kindness of my heart?"

"No. So I don't kill you all. Starting with him." Torrell took out a Genii pistol and aimed it at Sheppard. "Sorry, you don't get to choose this time." He said with a wry smile.

Rodney nervously swallowed. "Well, that's good motivation isn't it?" He tried to inspect the text. At a nod from Torrell, his keeper moved him closer to the text, but reused to let him out of his sights. After a few uneasy moments, the scientist announced his findings. "It says that there's only one way in there: the gene. The doorway is permeable only to people with the ATA gene. No one else can go in."

"ATA gene?" Torrell asked.

"It's a rare gene that a few people, like the colonel and myself, possess. It allows us to use Ancient, um, _Ancestor_ technology. Since it won't let any of you through, I'm assuming none of you have it, thank God." He added the last part quietly.

"So, only you and the colonel here have it?" Rodney nodded in response. "Very well." Torrell stepped away from the door-like inscription in the wall and re-aimed the gun at Sheppard and spoke to him. "Go though and get something for us. I'll even be nice and let ya get that healin' device that's supposed to be in there if ya don't wanna get a weapon. How's that fer a fair deal?"

Sheppard returned an icy gaze. "No," was the succinct reply.

Torrell took a step back, as if the word struck him. "'No'?! What do ya mean, 'no'?!" He asked, incredulous.

The colonel was resolute. "It is against the policy of my people to give into the demands of terrorists." John knew that he was on thin ice, but that same gut feeling that had told him that something was very wrong in this Cave, was now telling him not to give this piece of slime anything. He was more than happy to oblige.

The terrorist gazed at him in shock for a long moment, then an instant transformation occurred and his demeanor changed. His back stiffened and ice entered his eyes.

Rodney saw the change from his location near the far wall, and knew that when psychopaths got that look, it was never good. He'd seen enough horror movies and had more than adequate personal experience to know that. "Uh, John, are you really sure you want to"-

In a flash, Torrell spun around with his Genii hand gun extended, pointed it at McKay…

And shot him directly in the chest.

The gunshot echoed loudly in the small chamber as Rodney crumpled to the floor in a bloody heap. Smoke was still coming from Torrell's weapon as John bellowed and struggled against his captor with renewed vigor. Fueled with adrenaline, he managed to break free and rushed to his fallen comrade's side.

"You do not know how long I've wanted to do that." The murderer declared.

"You jerk!!!! You filthy SOB!!!" John screamed as his face turned crimson. The whole world condensed into McKay's unmoving, bleeding corpse and the man who killed him. _Nonononono this can't happen, not again!!!_ "If he's dead I swear, Torrell"- John roared.

The jerk smiled pleasantly, making John fume even more. He could hear his pounding heartbeat in his ears and felt his muscles tighten and bulge. "Don't get your panties in a bunch, Colonel. This was _your_ choice. His blood in on _your_ hands just as much as mine."

Teyla broke the tension. "Please, I know some basic medical training, let me tend to him," she begged. Torrell looked her over and nodded. The man holding her loosened his grip and cut Teyla loose. For a fleeting moment, John vainly hoped that Teyla would take the knife and stick it in Torrell, but she simply strode over to McKay and together they turned him on his back.

His face was as white as a ghost and covered with a thin sheet of sweat. Blood was pouring out of the gaping hole in his ribcage. His breath came in short gaps, and McKay's once lively eyes were expressionless and glassy. John remembered how that now pale face was once beet red as the team laughed in the Jumper, something that seemed a lifetime ago.

Teyla said what he already thought. "The wound is deep, and it is bleeding heavily." With shaking hands she removed the gauze and pressed it into the wound. "It most likely hit a lung, but I cannot be sure." Her face appeared to be calm, but as Teyla locked eyes with John, he could see the fear that lurked within the brown depths. "He must get help soon or…" The sentence did not need to be finished; the silence said enough.

"Only the Ancestor healing device can save him now." said Torrell pointedly. John sent him a murderous glare, an accurate description considering that was what he wanted to do. The soldier held this gaze for a heartbeat, and then another and another. For a brief moment, he considered again rushing at the man and killing him with his bare hands.

Torrell sensed his struggle and swung his weapon around to aim at the unconscious form of Ronon. "Ah, ah, ah, ah." The man looked at him callously. "One false move and he dies too, Sheppard."

John tore his eyes from the shooter and turned once more to McKay. His lips were tinted blue and he was breathing shallower. Not good signs at all. He shared a glance with Teyla who was still pressing the now blood soaked cloth into their friend. With all of the blood seeping from the hole in Rodney, her efforts were futile; it was just too much to contain. From the way the scientist was struggling to breathe, John thought that Teyla's assessment was correct.

In that look, they both acknowledge that even if they left now for Atlantis, Rodney probably wouldn't survive the trip. John bent his head down in an attempt to stop the tears welling up in his eyes. He wouldn't cave, he couldn't give in, not while his teammate still breathed, not while his murderers stood watching. He leaned over McKay as he realized what he had to do.

"Hey buddy, I'm gonna be gone for a while, but Teyla will take real good care of you till I'm back. Okay?" In a dark corner of his mind, he realized that even if he hurried through the four challenges, he probably wouldn't get back in time to save Rodney.

John did not expect a response, but that was what he received. "Don'…time…device…" The whisper was so soft John thought that he might have imagined it. He leaned forward so his ear was closer to Rodney's mouth and asked him to repeat. "The doorway… it's time dilation… don' worry…"

He sat back up to process what the scientist said. John shot a quick look at the very solid appearing stone wall. _Time dilation…_ it made sense for the Ancients to do something like that. They seemed eager to give people enough time to do what they needed. It would also take the pressure off John; he wouldn't have to do some meticulous task while worrying about getting to McKay in time. He fought the urge to sigh in relief.

"Don't you dare start that 'don't worry about me' crap! Now sit here, shut up, and concentrate on getting through this. Let me handle the rest. I can take care of it. Just have to wander around, solve some puzzles, get the Ancient thingy, and get back here. Shouldn't be too hard."

"For military…get lost…a lot… I get shot… you play Sudoku…Mr. MENSA." Rodney tried to laugh, but it quickly turned into a coughing fit. Dark blood sprayed from his mouth and dripped over pale lips.

John clenched his jaw at his friend's condition. That was McKay for you, snarking till the end. "What about 'shut up' don't you understand, _Meredith_?"

"John, you must hurry," said Teyla. "He is fading quickly."

The solider gravely nodded and turned towards the carved wall. "I know." John faced Torrell and stated his answer as succinctly as he could. "I'll do it." He got up and moved to the engraved wall.

Torrell and his crones backed away, as if afraid of what might happen after he went through. John remembered the pain of going through the time dilation device for the first time over a year ago. He stood in front of the 'doorway' and placed his hand upon the stone. The hand passed into the stone as if it were not there, ripples covering the surface of the supposed 'rock'. Rodney would have loved to examine the cloaking techniques used here. _No, I won't talk about him in the past tense; he's not dead yet. _

John pulled out the hand and wiggled his fingers in front of his experimentally. Everything seemed to be in working order. He cast one last glance at the scene before him: Rodney on the floor with a surely fatal bullet wound, Teyla squatting near him trying to stave off death long enough for John to save him, and the mercenaries surrounding them. John closed his eyes braced and himself for the pain. He took a deep breath and held it.

Taking a step forward, John passed into the slate-gray stone and disappeared from sight.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

**TBC**

_

* * *

A/N Dun-dun Duuuuuuun!! What will happen next? Will John get back in time to save Rodney? Stay tuned for next week's next episode…er, chapter. cough Sorry about that. Been watching too many old TV shows lately. Stupid TV Land. Anyway, please take a moment and review, I really appreciate it!_

Oh, btw… what do people think of my quotes? I got this Oxford book of famous quotes and I figured it'd be cool to put a quote that relates to the chapter. Do you like? Yes, no, maybe, kinda, sorta, in a way?


End file.
